Which Test Management Tools Are Right for You

Keeping track of who’s testing what, when, and why is essential for maintaining test management best practices and getting applications to market faster. Depending on a company’s daily operations, there could be numerous people working on a variety of test cases, execution reports, or team testing projects at the same time or only once in a while. It’s important for each business to find the test management tools that can best meet their unique needs. In addition, the right tools can give a business more defined testing objectives, provide comprehensive test guidance for testers, and help pinpoint deliverables that are key to production success.

Problem Solving

Before considering test management tool options, organizations should evaluate what is lacking from the tools/processes that they currently use. This will help them identify the types of problems that the new tools need to address. Reaching out to those testers and developers who currently use these tools provides additional insight into what specific features and functionalities are most necessary. Depending on the order of priority, some tools could be eliminated early on in the search process if they don’t solve the existing problem(s). It is also important to make sure that support for the new tools exists, as resistance to this type of change could impede widespread implementation of the new product.

Adoptability

A great test management tool should be relatively easy to learn from, understand, and work with on a day-to-day basis. In addition, because the tool is likely to be used by multiple departments and teams within the company, its overall adoptability should also be a strong consideration. Likewise, its integration with other systems and tools is equally important. The best tools are user-friendly, easy to use and capable of seamlessly working in cooperation with tools that the company already uses and plans to continue using into the foreseeable future. JIRA, for instance, has several test management plugins that can easily be adopted.

Process Integration

Many companies use different development processes for various aspects of their business. If a test management tool is going to be used throughout the organization, it must be scalable enough to handle everything from Agile to Continuous Delivery processes, and anything in between. Tagging features can also help improve Agile efficiency. Dashboard customization features for different team projects and flexible custom fields can help users differentiate development methodologies and build out the application in accordance with their needs. All of these points should be considered when evaluating test management tools.

Multiple Users

Collaboration in testing is increasingly common. Multiple testers can act as a second set of eyes, providing fresh ideas and insights into problems and solutions. Companies that engage in multi-user testing require tools that can get the job done without compromising security or functionality. Tools that lock testing sessions, thereby preventing pair testing, are not therefore likely to be problematic for businesses that rely on this type of testing. More compatible test management tools allow users to create multiple versions of test cases and assign steps to several different users.

There are many points to consider when deciding on a new test management tool. However, understanding the needs of the company, its testers, and others who will interact with the tools is critical. Doing this ensures that only the most robust and relevant testing options will be chosen. As a global leader in ALM, Contegix maintains and hosts test management tools to allow companies to focus on testing and developing software that allows their company to grow smarter and faster.